Gender Patterns of Crime

Question 1

What proportion of convicted offenders are male?

Answer 1

4 out of 5

Question 2

What is the most common crime committed by women?

Answer 2

Shoplifting

Question 3

What is the most common crime committed by men?

Answer 3

Violent/sexual offences

Question 4

What are the 3 topics within gender patterns of crime that you could be asked about?

Answer 4

Why do women APPEAR to commit less crime
Why do some women commit crime?
Why do men commit crime?

Question 5

What is Pollack’s theory called?

Answer 5

The Chivalry Thesis (1950)

Question 6

What is the chivalry thesis?

Answer 6

The idea that women are less likely to be prosecuted for offences. The CJS is lenient towards them

Question 7

Why does Pollack argue that women are less likely to be prosecuted for offences?

Answer 7

He says that men have a protective attitude towards women so a less willing to arrest/prosecute them

Question 8

What studies act as evidence FOR the chivalry thesis? (p.29 of the booklet)

Answer 8

Graham & Bowling
Ministry of Justice (2009)
Roger Hood

Question 9

What studies act as evidence AGAINST the chivalry thesis? (p.29 of the booklet)

Answer 9

Farrington & Morris
Buckle & Farrington
Box

Question 10

What is Functionalist sex role theory, and who created it?

Answer 10

Parsons (1955) - girls are socialised into the expressive role (at home), compared to the instrumental role for boys (outside of home)

Question 11

How can we evaluate Functionalist sex role theory?

Answer 11

Feminism - ignores the role of patriarchy in creating gender differences in offending

Question 12

What is Patriarchal Control, and who created it?

Answer 12

Heidensohn (1985) - women are controlled at home, in public, and at work, so they don’t have opportunities to commit crime

Question 13

Patriarchal Control: how are women controlled at home?

Answer 13

Through housework/childcare taking up their time, bedroom culture, and the threat of domestic violence

Question 14

What is bedroom culture?

Answer 14

Girls’ tendencies to be involved in hobbies that can be done at home in their bedroom, like reading and playing with dolls, which develops from childhood

Question 15

Why don’t boys experience bedroom culture?

Answer 15

They are more likely to be encouraged to play outside as children

Question 16

Patriarchal Control: how are women controlled in public?

Answer 16

The threat of male sexual violence, reports of sexual assault and rape, cat calling, male gaze

Question 17

Patriarchal Control: how are women controlled at work?

Answer 17

They are kept in subordinate positions and limited in progression by the glass ceiling

Question 18

How can we evaluate Patriarchal Control?

Answer 18

Liberation Thesis - women have been freed from patriarchy so their offending is now similar to men’s

Question 19

What are the Class & Gender Deals, and who created them?

Answer 19

Carlen (1988) - women have two options (or deals) for their life course which lead to them conforming: a class one, and a gender one

Question 20

What is Carlen’s class deal?

Answer 20

Women can enter the working world and earn enough money to support themselves

Question 21

What is Carlen’s gender deal?

Answer 21

Women can take the traditional expressive role in a family and get money/love in return

Question 22

How do Carlen’s deals lead to crime?

Answer 22

Women who don’t receive what they were promised from either deal turn to illegitimate ways to earn a living

Question 23

How can we evaluate Class and Gender deals?

Answer 23

Carlen’s sample was small and consisted most of female serious offenders, so isn’t very representative

Question 24

What is Liberation Thesis, and who created it?

Answer 24

Adler (1975) - women are becoming liberated (freed) from patriarchy’s control in all areas of life, including crime

Question 25

What kinds of crime do women commit according to Liberation Thesis?

Answer 25

Not just traditional female crimes (e.g. shoplifting, prostitution), but also traditional male crimes (e.g. taking senior positions in criminal networks)

Question 26

How can we evaluate Liberation Thesis?

Answer 26

The female crime rate began rising in the 1950s, before the women’s liberation movement in the 60s, suggesting something else is causing the increase

Question 27

What factors can we use for this topic area:
Why do women APPEAR to commit less crime?

Answer 27

Chivalry Thesis (evidence for and against needed. Pg 29 of the booklet)

Question 28

What factors can we use for this topic area:
Why do women COMMIT less crime than men?

Answer 28

Functionalist sex role theory (Parsons)
Patriarchal Control (Heidensohn)
Class & Gender Deals (Carlen)
Liberation Thesis (Adler)

Question 29

What factors can we use for this topic area:
Why do men COMMIT crime?

Answer 29

Hegemonic masculinity (Messerschmidt)
Postmodernity, masculinity, and crime (Winlow: Sunderland Bouncers)
Bodily Capital (Sunderland)

Question 30

What is Messerschmidt’s theory called?

Answer 30

Hegemonic Masculinity

Question 31

What is Hegemonic Masculinity?

Answer 31

The dominant idea about what it means to be a man. Men must earn ‘masculinity’ as a resource through certain acts

Question 32

How does Hegemonic Masculinity lead to crime?

Answer 32

Men can use crime and deviance as one way to earn masculinity. This is different for different men (page 32 of the booklet)

Question 33

How can we evaluate Hegemonic Masculinity?

Answer 33

This doesn’t explain why not all men use crime to accomplish masculinity, and it doesn’t seem to explain all crime (e.g. tax evasion)

Question 34

What is the Sunderland Bouncers study, and who created it?

Answer 34

Winlow (2001) - Shows how the loss of traditional male jobs in Sunderland (e.g. mining) caused some men to turn to the nighttime leisure economy and crime to earn masculinity

Question 35

How can we evaluate Winlow’s Sunderland Bouncers study?

Answer 35

Support: It demonstrates how the expression of masculinity changes with the move from an industrial to postmodern society

Question 36

What is Bodily Capital, and which theorist talks about it?

Answer 36

Winlow - Men with large, muscular bodies can use this advantage to discourage physical challenges and get involved in certain crimes

Question 37

How does Bodily Capital lead to crime?

Answer 37

Certain crimes are easier to commit with a large body, e.g. intimidation, physical fights, muggings